Don't Stop the Music
by That Guy Who Ships Niff
Summary: In this cliched romantic comedy, Jesse is Barden High's Mr. Popular while Benji is the target of bullying. When a long-standing tradition is broken and Benji becomes a star, Jesse begins to realize that the kid he merely protected from his Treble teammates may be much more than he ever thought. Slash Benji/Jesse


_**A/N**_: Here I go, delving into yet another different fandom. I loved _Pitch Perfect_ and since I generally write a lot of slash (also since Benji is bloody adorable), this cliched romantic comedy idea came up.

* * *

Jesse Swanson: Barden High School's most popular guy; the smooth, sophisticated junior who was quarterback of the football team, co-captain of the Treblemakers, the best Glee club in the country, all-around nice guy, and the object of every girl's affections, but his girlfriend was the leader of the Mathletes, Beca Mitchell.

Benji Applebaum: an outspoken sophomore with lots of good qualities; unfortunately, none of them came to his aid. He was the target of the popular crowd's torment, was always the last picked when it came to sports, and generally looked down upon. If anyone compared the two, they would figure that the only thing Jesse and Benji had in common was that they both loved singing.

What if there was more to it than that?

* * *

"Watch it, loser!" Benji felt the familiar cold metal against his shoulder just ten steps into school on Monday morning. This was officially the quickest time it took to get shoved by one of the jocks. His books had fallen to the floor and were being kicked across the hallway. He knew no one was going to help him. No one ever did.

"Hey, Benji, you're looking a little sad there today. What's wrong, you can't find little Timmy? Did he fall in the well again?" Nick Steadman sneered. His friends laughed obnoxiously, but Benji didn't care. He simply grabbed the books he could find and stood up to leave, but Nick pushed him back to the floor. "You belong on the floor, wimp. In fact, you know where he really belongs, guys?" Two of Nick's friends grabbed Benji by the upper arms and picked him up. "In the trash." The next thing Benji saw was his crumpled biology homework in the trash container next to him.

The bell rang and Benji heard everyone hurrying to class. Doors slammed and the hallway was quiet. He sighed and climbed out of the bin, dusting himself off. Picking up his books, Benji set off to first period.

"Mr. Applebaum, you're late…again," Mrs. Moore said, looking at Benji sternly through her wide owl-like glasses. "Take your seat and open your book to page eighty-four." Benji bit his lip and silently sat down in his spot between Elijah Connors and Max O'Hara.

A few minutes later, Benji felt a jab on the shoulder that had been locker-slammed. "Benj, give this to Max," Elijah whispered.

"No, I am not sending your little mash notes back and forth anymore," Benji hissed. "Now leave me alone."

"Listen, dork, if you want to keep your precious little face from getting busted, I suggest you do it before you make me mad," Elijah snapped, cracking his knuckles.

"Whatever," Benji muttered.

"You're dead meat, _fag_," Elijah scoffed. Benji took a deep breath and clenched his fists under his desk. He kept reminding himself that in ten years, he'd be a star and the assholes that treated him like shit would be washing his car. He also remembered never to leave his notebook behind. Last time that happened, one of his poems got spread around. Fortunately for him, he didn't specify who the "one true man in my life" was, but it did get him outed.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by without incident; well, unless you call getting tripped four times without incident. Benji walked into the cafeteria and looked around. The furthest table was occupied by the Treblemakers, the most popular club in school. And there, sitting right in the middle of them all, was Jesse Swanson, probably the most sought-after guy in school. Not only was he one of the few people who actually talked to Benji in a civil manner, but he stood up for him from time to time; that only happened with another Treble was involved. Jesse was co-leader of the Glee club that won Nationals three times in a row. The other co-leader, Bumper Allen, was another of the pricks who liked to make Benji's life hell.

"Mrs. Moore ain't here now to protect you, Applebaum," Elijah said from behind Benji. Benji turned around, but was promptly shoved into the cheerleaders' table. The girls shrieked and ran off. "Now I know there's no use in asking, but do you need to learn that little lesson again?" Benji sat on the floor, covered in spaghetti.

"No," he whispered, picking meatball bits from his hair.

"We can't hear you, faggot. You have to speak up," Max quipped, coming up next to Elijah.

"Guys, leave him alone," Jesse interrupted.

"But he…" Elijah was indignant. Jesse gave him a look and he shut up.

"Go." Elijah and Max stalked off. "You okay?" Jesse extended a hand to help him up. Benji nodded and accepted the gesture. "Cool." Without another glance, Jesse walked back to the table and Benji sighed, sitting down at the most vacant table.

"Hey, are you okay?" A tall brunette walked over to him. Benji recognized her, but couldn't remember her name.

"Yeah," he smiled weakly. "I'm fine."

"I saw some of those Treble guys being assholes," she said, sitting across from him. "I'm a Bella, you know, the loser club."

"I know the Bellas. Personally, I think you girls are more talented than the Trebles."

"At least someone else feels that way," she chuckled. "I'm Chloe, Chloe Beale."

"Benji Applebaum," Benji grinned, happy to finally find a friend. Chloe glanced around before smirking and turning back to Benji.

"I have an idea. It will literally turn all the girls—well, mostly Aubrey—against me for allowing it," Chloe whispered, "but would you like to audition for the Bellas?"

"I thought the Bellas was girls-only like the Trebles are boys-only." Benji looked at Chloe as if she were crazy.

"Just come by after school and we'll talk about it," she winked and walked back to her table. Benji watched her in wonder.

* * *

Benji narrowly dodged Elijah and Max on his way to room 237 after school. He could hear harmonizing coming from the open door.

"_Stripped to the waist_

_We fall into the river_

_Cover your eyes_

_So you don't know the secret_

_I've been trying to hide_

_We held our breath_

_To see our names written_

_On the wreck of '86_

_That was the year_

_I knew the panic was over_

_Yeah, since we found out_

_Since we found out_

_That_"

The girls came together for the chorus.

"_Anything could happen_

_Anything could happen_

_Anything could happen_

_Anything could happen_

_Anything could happen_

_Anything could…_"

Benji knocked on the wall and Chloe beamed when she saw him.

"Benji!" she giggled, running over and taking his hand. "Girls, don't kill me, but I think we need to break tradition."

"Chloe, are you the leader of this group?" Another girl, a blonde, asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Aubrey, come on," Chloe protested. "If the Bellas are going to be popular anytime soon, we need a new niche."

"I'm with Chloe," a dark-haired girl quipped. "I mean, he is adorable." Benji blushed at this. "And with that little ensemble of his, he could be total stage presence."

"So…can I audition?" Benji asked hopefully. Chloe, the dark-haired girl, and a few others nodded. Aubrey sat, her lips pursed. "Okay."

"_Listen to the sound of the city_

_Listen to the sound of the town_

_New York is the city of cities_

_New York is still wearing the crown_

_Listen to the sound of the city_

_Listen to the people I love_

_Everyone is speaking your language_

_New York speaks in your native tongue_

_New York (New York), we're skatin' down Broadway_

_At midnight or midday, we're doin' our thing_

_New York (New York), a city with gusto_

_New York is a big show, it's what happening_"

"Whoo!" A heavyset girl cheered. Benji flushed as the other girls stood up and applauded.

"What do you think, Aubrey?" Chloe looked at the blonde.

"Fine," she agreed. "But no one can know about this yet, understood?"

"Understood," the girls echoed.

* * *

_**Songs featured**_:

-_Anything Could Happen_ (Ellie Goulding) - The Bellas

-_The Sound of the City_ (David London) - Benji


End file.
